Morning journal and courier., 1887-06-20
GOSSIP OF the BALL FIELD.

GOSSIP OF THE BALL FIELD.
The Strength and Pro mtse of the New
Havens-Their Encouraging Work
| For the Last Two Weeks-Monu-
| ment Day Too Much For Them
Lovett Allowed to Pitch Under the
Old RuIes-Cuf Likely to Receive
| For Fitzgerald - Much Interesting
| News.
The New Ravens during the past two
weeks have surprised everyone by the way
! they have been playing ball. When they
| defeated the Bridgeports here with Lovett in
| the box and then went to Bridgeport and de-
feated them. again, doing what no other
league club has been able to do, there was
nothing but praise for the team. They
kept up their winning streak by defeating
the Waterburys two straight games. Then
the Bridgeports came up here Friday and in
the presence of the largest crowd which has
yet seen any Eastern league game the New
HaVens, for the third successive time, beat
that team by score of IA to 8. Dedication
day was little too much for the team and
Saturday the Bridgeports beat the New Ha-
vens by the same score that the New Havens
beat the day before.
IL SeIuIudy game Ch0 NEW Ravens played
Hstless game. There are two or three things
for which they should be severely blamed.
Lovett pitched under the old rules and not
one OF the New Ravens raised any objection
to 1t. The consequence was that Lovett had
such speed that the New Ravens could do
nothing with him. Every time he delivered
the ball he stepped across the box and raised
his hind foot, whereas the new rules say the
pitcher shall be obliged to stand squarely on
his hind foot while delivering the ball. The
umpire has no business to remedy pitchers
position unless his attention is called
to it; The reason of this is
of due 1be bs s6e had
sort of wIangle among themselves and did
not appear to care whether they won or not,
while the others Of the home team were too
timid to speak to the umpire about Lovett's
delivery. Fitzgerald was hit quite hard, but
he was far from being well supported. Errors
were made that were not scorable. Fitzger-
aid is good pitcher, but he needs to be
coached by some of the older members Of the
team, as he is nothing but a youngster yet.
In all probability Cuff will be put in to catch
him hereafter and Weckbecker changed to
catch Taylor. This no doubt would tend to
strengthen the two batteries. The New Ha-
vens can play good ball and the bone of con-
tention should not creep out again as it did
Saturday. If player makes an error that
player knows it and feels as bad as anybody
over it. He should not be picked at all the
time for making that error by two or three
other members of the team.
Then, another thing, it might do no harm
if some of the players would read the rules
of the league over carefully. They can OBJ
tain free copies of Secretary Sawyer. 1t is
very apparent that some of them need to be
better posted than they now are. Good ball
playing does not always win game. It is
the calling of the umpire's attention to
every significant point, which can only be
done by the alertness of the players. There
have been several times when a player of an
opposing team has started from second base
and come home, never touching third base.
The umpire has noticed it, but the guardian
of that base for the New Ravens did not
So the man was not out, simply because the
third baseman was asleep and the umplres
attention was not called to it.
Another thing needed by the New Ravens
is coaching. There are two OF three coach
ers already. The Others should take some of
their spare time and go out amongst the
hills and call for Minnehaha. In this way
their voices may get SO that they will re-
sound throughout the village and will be 30
strengthened that they can go back to the
ball grounds and use their voices little in
coaching and not stand still like dummies.
NEW HAvENs' CHANCES.
If the New Ravens can keep up their re-
markable streak of batting their road up the
AooO0A WILL AOo Oo NOAy AuSSOo. IA AAA0 Ano "a
late been put in just when it was most need
ed. The team has got good array of pitch
ing talent, with fine workers behind the bat
The field work has been remarkably fine of
late, and it is hoped that this work will con-
tinue and also the heavy hitting of the team.
The club has been in very poor condition and
yet has held its own in the race. The mate
rial in the pitchers box has been slowly but
surely strengthened and will be all right when
the other clubs are bemoaning broken-up
batteries. The catchers received their bad
treatment early in the season, while many of
the others are just beginning to get it.
WHAT ONE PERSON THINKS.
CHOW look here" said we'll known base
ball man yesterday, ffdid you ever see club
that made great rush in the lead early in
the season win the championship Hardly.
A club that starts off early in the season
with the lead for the championship very
naturally strains every nerve to hold their
place. To-day one of the players will make
an error; tomorrow another player will make
an error, then there is another row. This
thing is kept up until all the players are
finding fault with each other, and the club
begins to drop games in lively manner,
simply because the men will not work to-
gether. 1t is just at this point that the club
which is in third or fourth place begins to pick
up. There is no trouble among its players,
as they have got over kicking at an error or
two. What they want is victories matter
how many errors they make. The New
Ravens have won a fair proportion of their
games so far, and do not think that they
will stay in the place they are now great
while longer"